III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 269 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 

Day’’ should be established. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 6, 2005 

Mrs. BOXER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a ‘‘Welcome Home 

Vietnam Veterans Day’’ should be established. 

Whereas the Vietnam War took place in Vietnam from 1961 

to 1975 in which North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were 

in conflict with the United States and South Vietnam; 

Whereas the United States became involved in Vietnam because policy makers in the United States believed that if 

South Vietnam fell to a communist government then 

communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia; 

Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces began 

serving in an advisory role to the people of South Vietnam in 1961; 
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•SRES 269 IS

Whereas, as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2, 1964 and August 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘Joint Resolution to promote the maintenance of international peace 

and security in southeast Asia’’, approved August 10, 

1964 (Public Law 88–408; 78 Stat. 384), which effectively granted war-making powers to President Johnson 

until such time as ‘‘peace and security’’ had returned to 

Vietnam; 

Whereas, in 1965, ground combat units of the United States 

Armed Forces arrived in Vietnam; 

Whereas, by the end of 1965, there were 80,000 troops of the 

United States Armed Forces in Vietnam, and by 1969 

the number of troops reached a peak of approximately 

543,000; 

Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were 

signed, which required the release of all United States 

prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all members of the United States Armed 

Forces from South Vietnam; 

Whereas, on March 30, 1973, the United States Armed 

Forces completed the withdrawal of combat troops from 

Vietnam; 

Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States 

Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 

300,000 members of the United States Armed Forces 

were wounded; 

Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate those 

members of the United States Armed Forces who died or 

were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam; 
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Whereas, as of 2005, more than 1,800 members of the 

United States Armed Forces remain unaccounted for in 

Vietnam and Southeast Asia and the Department of Defense continues efforts to recover these members; 

Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue 

among the people of the United States; 

Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces who 

served bravely and faithfully for the United States during 

the Vietnam War were caught, upon their return home, 

in the middle of public debate about the involvement of 

the United States in the Vietnam War; 

Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 

250,000 veterans are homeless every night and that 47 

percent of all homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era; 

Whereas veterans of the Vietnam War continue to be at risk 

for post-traumatic stress disorder and health problems 

related to Agent Orange exposure; 

Whereas veterans of the Vietnam War, and all veterans, are 

entitled to the best care and treatment the Government 

of the United States can provide; 

Whereas the establishment of a ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam 

Veterans Day’’ would be an appropriate way to honor 

those members of the United States Armed Forces who 

served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and 

Whereas March 30, 2006 would be an appropriate day to establish as ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that a 

2 ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day’’ should be estab-
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1 lished to honor those members of the United States Armed 

2 Forces who served in Vietnam. 

Æ